


Hare Adrift

by orphan_account



Category: Star Fox Series
Genre: Gen, Gen Work, Retelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2016-04-27
Packaged: 2018-06-04 19:35:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6672811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An alternative take on what might've happened to Peppy Hare during the events on Titania... with a slight twist. </p><p>Takes place during 'Star Fox Zero', so yes, there are spoilers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hare Adrift

It was quiet.

 _Too_ quiet.

Well, save for the low thrum of his heart and the dull ringing in his ears, that is.

\------------

Peppy Hare wasn’t sure how long he had been out of it. _Completely_ out of it, at that. Minutes, hours, days. Possibly even weeks. All he could remember, at that very moment, was being shot down, and hearing Fox McCloud’s panicked voice trying to reach him over the communications channel, before being abruptly silenced by static interference.

Everything after that was a total blur that alternated between slow motion and hyper time.

His eyelids fluttered as he finally came to. Almost right away, he was blinded by an intense light. Instinctively, he recoiled, lifting an arm over his eyes. A sharp pain shot through his entire body, and all he could do was slump down in his seat. Peppy pressed a hand to the side of his head, taking deep breaths until the pain subsided.

Upon pulling his hand away, however, he noticed a dark, almost sticky substance on his glove’s fingertips.

“Awwh…” Peppy slouched down. “You gotta be kiddin’ me…”

\------------

After closing his eyes, this time for a brief moment’s rest, his thoughts took him back home to Corneria. Of friends, new and old.

Much as he enjoyed a good aerial dogfight and showing off a barrel roll or two, Peppy rather wanted to be having a slice of Vivian LeVeret’s knotwood pie, and perhaps sharing a slice with her young daughter, Lucy, as well. They’d both come to regard him as family, and to an extent, he felt likewise, though he was -and perhaps always- reluctant to fully commit to Vivian due to his lifestyle. Moments like these certainly reaffirmed that particular choice.

He also would rather be having a round of drinks with his old, close friend, General Pepper, at a local Cornerian pub. Swapping war stories and tales of friends and fellow wingmen who have since left this world. The sound of laughter and glasses clinking against one another in toasts were certainly preferable to the unholy wailing of the creatures roaming the land outside.

But, boy, did he suddenly have a hankering for that pie.

\------------

Peppy sat up, determined to get his bearings. The first thing he did, was to check to see if his Arwing was still in one piece.

Flicking several switches, he saw lights go on and the ignition hummed. He smiled, now hopeful that things were in working order. Bless the person who invented the G-Diffuser system, Peppy mused.

He hurriedly switched on the communications channels, crossing his fingers that maybe, just maybe, he’d be able to contact either the Great Fox or one of the others.

“Peppy Hare to Great Fox, Come in Great---”

The communications channel crackled and fizzled rather violently. He quickly shut it off. Whatever it was like outside on this alien world, it was interfering with the signal in a bad way.

\------------

While he attempted to mentally draft a new plan of action, a fleeting -yet sinister- thought briefly crossed his mind. It began to gnaw at his own, closely guarded feelings within him. What if the team did leave him behind, solely because he was getting old? He might not have been a spry rabbit like he was even ten or twenty years ago, but he still felt he could keep up with the best of them.

… No.

Peppy quickly dismissed the notion as fast as it manifested itself. He knew full and well the risks of war; military or mercenary. Being out on the frontlines and all that. Fox and the others needed to press on, it stood to reason, that they would put stopping Andross and his forces as their utmost priority over finding him on some backwater desert-looking world. Or so the rational, war-hardened veteran part of him hoped they would.

Yet, Peppy _knew_ Fox. He knew the young pup wouldn’t leave anyone behind. Just like his father. He had no reason to worry that Fox would leave him behind as dead weight just because he got shot down in a space fight without warning.

\------------

The sun was starting to set. Peppy knew he couldn’t wait much longer, lest he become an unwitting -or unwilling- victim to whatever terrors of the night this alien world held within its sands.

‘ _Well_ ,’ he thought. ‘ _At least the ship’s in as good of working order as it could be._ _No use waiting for anyone… maybe there’s a port nearby or someth--_ ’

His ears perked up. He heard something off in the distance. Something distinct.

Peppy peered out cockpit’s window, pressing his hands against the glass and angling himself to get a better view. His jaw dropped open as he saw a portal opening in the sky, even from this distance. He only knew it was a matter of time before Andross’ forces would come through there, and damned if he’d do nothing and just sit there, borderline helpless.

In spite of the searing pain that shot down through his left arm and the dull ache at the base of his skull, Peppy fired up the Arwing. He reckoned if this was going to be his last flight -and he sure hoped it wouldn’t be-, he was going to make it a flight worth remembering for the history books.

… Presuming anyone found his remains afterward, that is.

\------------

It didn’t take long, after becoming airborne, to come across a sight for sore eyes.

Off in the distance, Peppy ascertained the other ship he’d picked up on radar a few miles back, was none other than the Gravmaster. It had to have been piloted by Fox, he was the only one who was willing to give the machine a shot.

In addition, the comm chatter was becoming clearer, as he was now able to pick up fleeting conversation between his teammates.

“There’s---signal---ahea---” The frantic voice had to have been Slippy’s.

“Is---Peppy?” Fox. Of course it was Fox.

The old hare breathed a momentary sigh of relief. How could he have ever doubted that Fox would try to find him?

Speeding up, Peppy carefully pulled up alongside the hovering tank. He was so elated to be reunited with his teammates again, the fact the giant teleportation portal was just a stone’s throw away from them didn’t matter. Not for the moment, anyways.

“Fox!” He exclaimed, sounding rather breathless. “Thanks for comin’ to get me!”

“Peppy!” He couldn’t quite see it too clearly, but he withheld a chuckle as he saw Fox’s bewildered expression as their eyes met. Fox slowed down his ship’s speed to stay close to him. “Are you alright?”

“As fine as anyone who got shot down in wild space can be,” he said. “How did you…? What about Star Wolf?”

“Wolf and a majority of Andross’ forces retreated not long after you disappeared. I’ll tell you the details later,” Fox explained. “We need to---”

Peppy’s focus was now on the teleportation portal. “What’s goin’ on over there?” He asked, feigning ignorance.

“Looks like one of Andross’ portals.” Fox sped up. “Not sure what one would be doing out here on this world. There’s hardly anything of strategic value that I can see.”

He recalled Pepper’s orders to “do what needed to be done” and to keep it secret from the others. Staring at the swirling, fluorescent portal, he began to wonder just how much longer he would need to keep the secret for.

“Think we should check it out?” He asked. “Might be able to head some of these guys off at the pass!”

“Agreed,” Fox replied. “Falco, Slippy, pull back and retreat to the Great Fox. Wait there for further orders. Understood?”

\------------

Coming out of the portal, both Peppy and Fox looked on at the gigantic warship that lay ahead of them. It wasn’t just a warship. It was a massive superdreadnaught. Peppy’s jaw briefly hung open as he assessed its relative size to that of his own Arwing. It continued to frighten him that Andross was capable of having amassed such a fleet in a short period of time.

“Where ARE we?” Fox asked.

“Can’t you contact the Great Fox?” Peppy suggested. “See if they can get a bead on our location?”

There was a momentary silence on the comm channel.

“No use. I can’t reach it without the signal cutting out as soon as I reach ROB,” Fox grumbled. “I _think_ we can take this ship together, though. It’ll take a little effort, but I--”

Peppy leaned back in his seat, his eyes fixated on the gigantic dreadnaught. He could not -and would not- in good conscience allow Fox to fight in a ship that was, while space flight capable, in no way or form safe to dogfight in. He wouldn’t stand a chance, if he counted the sheer number of cannons on the ship correctly. Peppy would never let himself live it down if Fox fell in this fight, or at all in general.

The words of Pepper echoed in his mind. ‘ _Do what must be done._ ’ While this wasn’t the exact scenario the good General had in mind when he gave him those orders, it was none the less, relevant to the situation. 

With a hard swallow, Peppy gripped the throttle. “That ship of yours ain’t built for space battle. You better leave this up to me!”

“What?! But you---”

“No ‘but’s!” Peppy ordered; his tone harsh.

There was a pause.

“Fine. Just… watch yourself, okay?” Peppy could hear the genuine concern -and a twinge of worry- in the young pup’s voice.

“Oh, don’t worry about me!” The old hare scoffed. “Just get yourself back to the Great Fox!”

Peppy took a cursory glance at the worn, torn photo of Pepper, James, and himself; wedged under a plate on a side console. And then, turned his gaze towards the dreadnaught. It was time to send that abhorrent ape a message.

\------------

The warship, later learned to be called the ‘ _Salvadora_ ’, had fallen at the hands of Peppy. Even he could scarcely believe it himself, though he was quick to point out to the doomed pilot that it was unwise to underestimate Star Fox, be it all four of them, or even just one. Let that be a message sent to Andross, he thought.

The adrenaline was still flowing through his system. His paws shook, and his eyes were a tad bleary. He none the less could see the Great Fox just ahead, and took heed to report his incoming approach. He winced as he heard Slippy’s overly excited voice on the other line, but humored the frog all the same.

He wouldn’t admit it openly, but his haunches were starting to get quite cramped. After all he had been through over how many untold hours, Peppy was more than ready to simply sit down and stretch out his legs for a little bit.

\------------

No sooner did Peppy arrive on the Great Fox, was he greeted by Slippy Toad and Falco Lombardi. While Falco was his typical reticent self in such situations, Peppy sensed the silent relief in both the bird’s eyes and posture. Slippy, on the other hand, scurried towards him at lightning speed; clutching onto his hat all the while.

“Peppy!" Slippy exclaimed. "You’re alive! I knew Star Wolf couldn’t keep you down for long!” He about gave the old hare a tackle hug, but was stopped at the last second by the long arm of Fox intervening between and keeping the excitable frog at bay.

“I thought Fox was pulling my leg when he told us what was going on.” Falco crossed his arms, and gave Peppy a wry smile. “Not bad.”

Slippy shot Falco a cross glare. “‘Not bad’? I’d like to see _you_ take down an entire warship by yourself. And after getting shot down, too!”

Fox pinched the bridge of his muzzle. “Don’t give him any ideas, Slip.”

Peppy lumbered over to a chair, gently pushing Slippy and Falco out of the way. He might’ve been well enough to take on the ‘ _Salvadora_ ’ by himself, but the combination of adrenaline and body aches from the crash landing were just now catching up to him.

“Peppy?” Fox asked, as he walked over to him. “You okay?”

“A few scratches here and there, nothin’ I haven’t dealt with before. Otherwise, I’m fine.”

He was about to scratch his head, right on the spot where it had been bleeding earlier, but Fox gently pulled it away.

“No, you’re not,” said Fox, firmly. “I know we have a mission to do, but I value the well being of my crew, too. We’re almost to Fortuna, but I think you’re going to have to sit this one out.”

Peppy glared at Fox. “Oh come _on_! Just because I---”

“Fox is right, you know,” Slippy chimed in. “Might not be a bad idea to make sure you haven’t suffered any internal damage, too. It’s a miracle you survived that ordeal _and_ took on a superdreadnaught, but you’re _not_ invincible!”

With a dissatisfied grunt, Peppy stood up and, with the support of Slippy, began to make his way to the medbay.

\------------

With a sleeve rolled up, Peppy sighed as Slippy placed a couple ECG patches on his forearm. If there was one thing he quietly disliked, it was anything remotely related to hospitals. Why for, he couldn’t describe. Not that it was anyone’s business.

“Wolf and the majority of Andross’ fleet retreated shortly after he shot you down,” said Fox, as he paced about the med bay. “Bill and the Cornerian fleet took care of mopping up the stragglers. The General insisted we press onward to Fortuna, but I wasn’t going any further until we found you.”

Peppy attempted to rub the back of his sore neck, but Slippy yanked his hand away, telling him he was going to disrupt the heart monitors if he moved a single inch. He did so anyways, much to the frog’s frustration.

“You should’ve seen the look on Pepper’s face when he realized Fox wasn’t going to back down,” Falco pointed a finger in Fox’s direction. “Priceless.”

Peppy rolled his eyes. Typical Pepper. At least this would make for an interesting story once things settle down and they had all the time in the world to share new stories over some Aqualiss whiskey.

“I know we’ve handled tougher missions before, but it’s clear Andross’ forces are pickin’ up the heat. It’d be foolish to go all in with just three people this time around, I can feel it in my bones.” said Peppy. “But if I ain’t gonna be there with you guys on Fortuna, who will?”

“I’ve got that covered.” Fox nodded. “There’s someone who I think can help us out as a pinch-hitter this time.” He turned to face Falco, giving him a nod.

Falco glowered, taking a step backwards from Fox. “Oh, _no_. If you think I’m going to ask _her_ for help, you’re out of your mind!”

The fox tilted his head, giving Falco a suspicious side-eyed stare. “I didn’t say _you_ had to ask Katt.”

Instantly the pair began to bicker incessantly as Fox departed the medbay, with some thinly veiled threats from Falco that would, inevitably, amount to being empty ones. Slippy lamented their argument as he tended to Peppy, before switching the subject to that of the one restaurant on Corneria, that he was still obsessed with going to, when all was said and done.

The old hare chuckled under his breath. It was good to be back.

**Author's Note:**

> 1) As this story is set within the rebooted continuity of Star Fox Zero, _many_ elements from the previous timeline are presumed to not exist as they did before, primarily Vivian and Lucy Hare (Peppy’s late-wife and daughter; respectively, from ‘Star Fox Command’). I do like both characters, so I wanted to include them some how. As such, some creative liberties have been taken, even in the off chance there's a sequel in a couple years.
> 
> 2) Some dialogue has been lifted verbatim from the games. It follows the game to an extent; thought I took a liberty with the post-Titania route. I also largely avoided doing the dogfights; I'd rather focus on the character-y bits. So sue me.
> 
> 3) I just really like Peppy, haha. I normally don't write fan fic, but this idea just wouldn't leave me and I figured it was good stress relief from a bajillion other things going on right now.


End file.
